Improvement in awls



' s/Mmm 5 Alm.;

PATENTED AUG l 1871. v

humana;

Y M' v 4* 1 l PATENT @Errori SAMUEL BABBITT, OF BRAZIL, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AWLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,501, dated August 1, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BABBITT, of Brazil, in the county of Clay and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Awls; and I do hereby declare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in awls for boot and shoe-making and other purposes, constructed with an, eye for withdrawing the thread or bristle from the inside of a boot or shoe in sewing the leather of such boot or shoe through and through, which improvements apply to an awl for which I have already received Letters Patent ofthe United States; and consists in so constructing and arranging the slide tha-t it opens and closes the eye automaticatly on the awl, and also in the mode of confining the slide to the awl, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a View of the awl constructed according to my invention, but partly in section. Figure 2 is a cross-section of Fig. l on the line w x. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line y y. Fig. 4 is a section on the line z z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the handle. B is the awl, which is attached to the handle in any suitable manner. C is the slide, which is confined in a groove in the awl by the lips D D, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4. G is a hook or barb for withdrawing the thread, up to which the end of the slide works, as seen in Fig. l, thus forming an eye for the thread or bristle. H is a lip or lug on the rear end of the slide, against which the spiral spring I works.A

This spiral spring is coniined in the recess J in the handle. The ferrule K may project from the end of the handle, as seen in the drawing. The back motion of the slide C is limited by the lug H, which strikes the end of the handle. L is a iiange on the slide, which projects as seen in the drawing. As the awl is thrust through the leather or material operated up on the front end on of this iiange will strike the leather, which will force the slide back and open the eye of the awl. As the awl is withdrawn the spring will force the slide forward and again close J[he eye. By this arrangement both the opening and closing of the eye are done by inserting and withdrawing the awl, or automatically. The slide C may be confined by one or more small bands, the ends of which may form lips, and the slide may be drawn back by the iinger of the operator, while a spring may force it back to close the eye 5 but I prefer to groove the awl and conne the slide, as shown in the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In awls that open and close the eye for the thread automatically, the arrangement, in relation to the slide, of the hollow ferrule K, spiral spring I, and lug H, for the purpose specified.

The above specication of my invention signed by ine this 12th day of January, 1871.

SAMUEL BABBITT. Witnesses:

DANIEL MURRAY, GEO. W. ORR. 

